Monday, January 23, 2012

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Have you ever seen someone do this or maybe you have done this yourself, take a daisy or some other kind of flower and start plucking off the pedals and repeating, "He loves me." "He loves me not." "He loves me." "He loves me not." Getting close to the last pedal we are hoping it will turn out to be, "He loves me."

I see and hear this confusion among Christians who are in the family of God. "God loves me." I'm not sure God loves me." "God loves me." "I'm not sure God loves me."

Maybe you also have wandered from time to time if Father God loves you.

How can you and I be sure from one day to the next which it is? "He loves me." "He loves me not."

First, I think we need to ask ourselves, what is this love based on? Is it based on our feelings? Our emotions? Is it based on our performance? Is it based on us? Or is it based entirely on someone or something else?

Maybe you have wondered if He was angry at you. Is He judging you? Is He punishing you? And maybe other questions come to your mind about your relationship with Father God.

Getting answers to all of these questions is essential to our maintaining a healthy and fruitful relationship with Father God. It is essential for us to have the answer to this question of His love in order for Father God and the Word of God to be believable.

Love is essential for our faith to work. The Bible tells us in Gal 5:6 ......faith which worketh by love. KJV Certainly no one can have real faith in someone without knowing that person really loves and cares for them and that they have their best interest at heart. Right?

No loving parent ever wants their children confused from time to time of their love for them. Certainly our Heavenly Father doesn't want us confused either. After all, this relationship between Father God and us cost Him dearly, the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In 1 John 4, we read God is love. And I think that is where we need to start with this question of whether or not He loves us.

God is love. That is his nature. Love is at the very core of His being. When you see the word "love" then you should think of God, for He is love. He can't help himself. He just loves. If you don't mind me saying this, "God is a love machine." He just can't help himself. Love just oozes out of Him. And when you are in His presence for very long, you just feel loved.

How about us going back to before the very foundation of this world. I think we can find something there to help us. I think it would do us good to read it very slowly in order to grasp the magnitude of what is being revealed.

Ephesians 1:4-13 Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. 5 For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent] -- 6 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, 8 Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), 9 Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him,10 [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. 11 In Him we also were made [God's] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will, 12 So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory! 13 In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit. AMP

Do you feel loved? Do you feel special? Can you see the love of the Father is not based on you and your performance and never was? Can you see there is no condemnation to you who are in Christ Jesus? Can you see why Daddy is not mad at you? Can you see He loves you no matter what? Can you see there is no more judgment of sin due you, because Jesus took the judgment you deserved? Can you see that there is no punishment for your sin, because Jesus took the punishment you should have been given?

I do want to add this, you will reap the consequence of the sins of the flesh if you continue in them. I am talking about things like smoking, for example. Studies have proven that smoking can cause cancer. If you continue to smoke, you can develop cancer. If you continue to eat and become over weight or obese, then you can die of a heart attack, as well as, develop numerous other diseases and problems.

But I am not writing this article to condemn you. Condemnation never did help anyone in any situation.

I sincerely want you to know it is the unconditional love of Father God and His love alone that is going to give you the desire to quit what you are doing, give you the strength to quit and totally deliver you from any addiction. His love is that powerful!

That is why you can't afford to doubt his unconditional love for you. It is a healing love, a delivering love, a love that gives hope and peace and brings you to a state of rest and confidence that you can make it through anything.

Father God's love is unconditional love and therefore it is not based on you and your past, present or future performance. Jesus Christ's death, burial, resurrection and ascension is the guarantee of it.

So stop plucking those pedals of doubt concerning Father God's love for you and start receiving His unconditional love. For this love, is the love you have been waiting for all of your life. It is the love that gives hope, peace and real joy in a world looking for real love. You can receive it any time, because it is not based on you, but on Jesus. Then you can start passing out His unconditional love, assuring other Christians they don't have to pluck those pedals in doubt any more either.

In order for us to apply this truth to our lives, let's make this very important confession of our faith with these scriptures:

Father God is love. And in order to satisfy His incredible love for me, Father God made me one of His children. He is now my Father and I am one of His loved children and it all came about by His unconditional love toward me and not what I have done or could ever do. I am really special! That is how my Father God thinks about me. He actually thought of me and prepared for me before even anything began on planet earth. He chose me then, picking me out for His own. He even saw me then in Christ Jesus, holy and without any sin before Him. His faith was in full force, looking at me! He planned in His love to make me one of His children. Of which I confidently confess, "I am a child of Father God." This was Father's kind intent toward me. This was all done so He could show his marvelous love, grace, favor and mercy toward me, which he so freely lavished on me, His beloved child. Father is waiting to pour out His unconditional love on me. And I won't keep Him waiting."